Cigar Aficionado’s gridiron guru has crunched piles of stats and broken down each team’s strengths and weaknesses to predict how each will fare and who will win the Super Bowl.

AFC East

1 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTSThe Patriots were the team of the decade, a
tribute to the resolve and leadership of Robert and Jonathan Kraft in
building a model franchise. They won three Super Bowls in four years
(2002, 2003 and 2005) and got to another in 2008, and their 126
victories are the best total over a 10-year period in NFL history. An
injury-free QB Tom Brady posted a 96.2 rating with 4,398 yards, 28
touchdowns and 13 interceptions. WR Wes Welker led the NFL in receptions
(123) but comes off knee surgery, while game-breaker Randy Moss had 83
catches for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns. Adding WR Torry Holt gives
Brady another weapon while LB Tully Banta-Cain (10 sacks) leads an
improved defense. The Pats collected a dozen draft picks and landed the
best pass-catching TE in the draft in Rob Gronkowski.

2 NEW YORK JETSRex
Ryan rattled the NFL with his bawdy talk but delivered the Jets to the
AFC title game. He put his trust in a rookie quarterback and spoon-fed
him behind a strong ground game that was the NFL’s best, matching the
league’s No. 1 defense. Mark Sanchez established himself as the
franchise QB when the Jets won five of their last six games to make the
playoffs. In Ryan’s off-season moves, he got Antonio Cromartie from the
Chargers to join Darrelle Revis in what now is the best cornerback
tandem around, added RB LaDainian Tomlinson, another ex-Charger, and
snatched WR Santonio Holmes from Pittsburgh and DE Jason Taylor from
Miami.

3 MIAMI DOLPHINSAfter going 11-5 his first year as
coach, Tony Sparano got a wake-up call last season when he lost QB Chad
Pennington for 13 games. Replacement Chad Henne didn’t win any raves
with a so-so rating of 75.2, and the Fish finished 7-9. RB Ricky
Williams furnished most of the offense with 1,385 yards from scrimmage
and 13 touchdowns after Ronnie Brown went down. Bill Parcells made two
large free-agent additions in the off-season, getting run-stopping LB
Karlos Dansby from Arizona to fortify a defense that allowed 390 points,
and WR Brandon Marshall from Denver, who has caught at least 100 passes
in each of his last three seasons. The Dolphins made seven of their
eight draft picks on defense to compensate for the losses of LB Joey
Porter and DE Jason Taylor.

4 BUFFALO BILLSNonagenarian
owner Ralph Wilson should have applied for a stimulus package after
watching his Bills crumble again. RB Marshawn Lynch was suspended, the
Terrell Owens signing was a flop, the team had no quarterback to speak
of and the offensive line was, well, offensive, which means that new
coach Chan Gailey will get a migraine headache in looking at another
last-place finish. It’s not a situation that No. 1 pick C. J. Spiller,
the best running back in the draft, looks forward to. The two bright
spots the Bills had were RB Fred Jackson (1,062 yards) and rookie DB
Jairus Byrd, who tied for the league high in interceptions (9) despite
missing two games.

AFC South

1 INDIANAPOLIS COLTSThe AFC champions (14-2) shunned free agency
after losing 31-17 to the Saints in the Super Bowl. QB Peyton Manning
is the main reason the Colts have won 12 or more games for seven
consecutive seasons. Manning, a four-time MVP, finished with 4,500
yards, a team-record 393 completions, 68.8% accuracy, 33 touchdowns and a
99.9 rating. Manning has willing partners in WR Reggie Wayne (100
catches, 1,264 yards, 10 touchdowns), TE Dallas Clark (100 catches,
1,106 yards, 10 touchdowns), WR Austin Collie (60 catches, 676 yards),
and WR Pierre Garçon (47 catches, 765 yards, 16.3 avg.). RB Joseph Addai
rushed for 828 yards, but he was the only standout on the ground, and
the Colts’ running game ranked last in the NFL. Led by DE Dwight Freeney
(13.5 sacks), the defense allowed the fewest points (307) in the
South.

2 TENNESSEE TITANSJeff Fisher did a remarkable
coaching job last year, pulling up the Titans from an 0-6 start to a
playoff near-miss at 8-8. The strong second-half surge, with eight wins
in 10 games, can be directly attributed to QB Vince Young, who started
the season on the bench. RB Chris Johnson helped him big time. He led
the NFL in rushing with a brilliant 2,006-yard campaign that resulted in
a 5.6 yard average and 14 touchdowns. The Titans, who needed to fix
their defense after giving up the second-most points (402) in the AFC,
expect improvement after drafting six defensive players. Johnson was
rewarded with a new contract, proving that the Titans are not the Tight
Ones.

3 HOUSTON TEXANSIt was another disappointing journey
for the Texans in their quest to reach the playoffs for the first
time. They started 5-3 but lost four straight games before winning their
last four to go over .500 for the first time (9-7). A weak rushing
attack (30th in yards) undermined the offense largely because RB Steve
Slaton had fumble-itis. QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson make the
aerial game lethal. Nobody had more passing yardage than Schaub
(4,770), with 29 touchdowns and a 98.6 rating. Johnson led in yardage
with 1,569 with a second straight year of triple-digit receptions
(101). The Texans met their needs in the draft with Auburn RB Ben Tate
and Alabama DB Kareem Jackson. However, they took a big hit in the
off-season when Defensive Rookie of the Year LB Brian Cushing (who led
in tackles with 133 along with 4 interceptions) was suspended for the
first four games of 2010 for violation of the NFL’s steroid policy.

4 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARSThey’re
not “jacked up” in Jacksonville anymore. The Jags wound up 7-9 after a
6-4 start. Coach Jack Del Rio is a defensive specialist yet it was the
defense that was his undoing. The Jags’ 27th-ranked pass defense was
horrible (allowing 236 yards per game) while managing only 14 sacks. RB
Maurice Jones-Drew broke out with 1,391 yards and 15 touchdowns and
grabbed 53 passes for another 374 yards. Del Rio fired several coaches,
brought in DE Aaron Kampman and used his first four picks on defense,
but it may not be enough. No playoffs could mean Del Rio’s end.

AFC North

1 PITTSBURGH STEELERSQB Ben Roethlisberger’s exploits off the
field overshadow everything he did on it and gives him less of an
opportunity this season as he faces a suspension of six games that can
be reduced to four. That leaves the Steelers with Byron Leftwich or
Charlie Batch under center, replacing Big Ben, who threw for a
career-high 4,328 yards (including a 503-yard explosion against Green
Bay) and earned a 100.5 rating. The Steelers, who won the Super Bowl in
the 2008 season but missed the playoffs last year, must count on RB
Rashard Mendenhall (1,108 yards) and WR Hines Ward (95 catches, 1,167
yards) while Big Ben is out. Losing DB Troy Polamalu for 11 games was
huge. The Steelers had only five interceptions in his absence. The
defense gets a boost with Polamalu’s return.

2 BALTIMORE RAVENSGM
Ozzie Newsome didn’t wait long in the off-season to address the Ravens’
No. 1 priority—opening up the offense—by acquiring play-making WRs
Donte’ Stallworth and Anquan Boldin, who was fifth in the NFC with 84
receptions and 1,024 yards with Arizona. No one could be happier with
the changes than QB Joe Flacco. Other than Derrick Mason (73 catches,
1,028 yards), Flacco had no one to look for deep down field. RB Ray Rice
was his leading receiver (78 receptions, 702 yards) but is best at
rushing (1,339 yards). The Ray Lewis defense remains menacing, allowing
only 261 points, second in the AFC to the Jets, and it just got stronger
with drafted newcomer DT Terrence Cody.

3 CINCINNATI BENGALSWinning
all six divisional games (10-6) and the North championship saved coach
Marvin Lewis’ job and earned him Coach of the Year honors. RB Cedric
Benson emerged as a star with 1,251 yards, fifth best in the AFC. The
passing game struggled because QB Carson Palmer didn’t have enough
weapons. WR Chad Ochocinco (72 catches, 1,047 yards) was his only deep
threat. Palmer did as best he could (3,094 yards, 21
touchdowns). Signing ex-Buc WR Antonio Bryant (83 receptions, 1,248
yards in 2008 before missing much of 2009 with a knee injury), ex-Jaguar
WR Matt Jones, volatile WR Terrell Owens and rookie TE Jermaine Gresham
will open up the passing game. The Bengals, who love to give second
chances to those who have exhausted their third chances, signed Adam
(Don’t Call Me Pac-Man) Jones, likely to help most on returns.

4 CLEVELAND BROWNSThe
inept Browns won their last four games, saving coach Eric Mangini’s
job. New president Mike Holmgren spared Mangini but not QBs Derek
Anderson and Brady Quinn. He replaced them with his backup Seattle QB,
Seneca Wallace, and ex-Panther Jake Delhomme, neither of whom will sell
more season tickets. Holmgren got lucky by drafting Texas QB Colt McCoy
in the fourth round. He also got good ones in RB Montario Hardesty and
DB Joe Haden. RB Jerome Harrison (862 yards) and WR/return specialist
Josh Cribbs gave Browns fans something to cheer about. Holmgren added
veterans LB Scott Fujita and TE Ben Watson but the Browns still look
beige.

AFC West

1 SAN DIEGO CHARGERSThe Chargers seem to be the NFL’s heartbreak
hotel the last three years. The Bolts got close, but never reached the
Super Bowl and disappointed with a divisional 17-14 loss at home to the
Jets last year, adding another blot to their playoff record. LaDainian
Tomlinson, the centerpiece since 2001, is gone and so is CB Antonio
Cromartie. QB Philip Rivers is their flash of lightning and finished as
the AFC’s top-rated passer (104.4) with 4,254 yards, 28 touchdowns and
just 9 interceptions. Rivers flowed smoothly with TE Antonio Gates (79
catches, 1,157 yards) and WR Vincent Jackson (68 catches, 1,167 yards)
as the Chargers led the AFC in scoring (454 points) in a 13-win season,
which will be tougher to equal since Jackson was suspended by the NFL
for the first three games of 2010. The Chargers expect Fresno State RB
Ryan Mathews, their No.1 draft pick, to replace Tomlinson.

2 OAKLAND RAIDERSThe
Al Davis smarts were evident in the draft as the savvy owner got his
ship righted after only 29 wins in the last seven years. He had solid
draft picks, the best being LB Rolando McClain and DT Lamarr Houston to
create a run-stop barrier. The Raiders possess budding stars on offense
in RB Michael Bush (589 yards, 4.8 avg.) and WR Louis Murphy (34
receptions, 521 yards, 15.3 avg.) and hope RB Darren McFadden can stay
healthy. Davis had enough of QB JaMarcus Russell, the Leaning Tower of
Pizza, and dumped him for former Redskin Jason Campbell. Oakland will be
an improved team.

3 DENVER BRONCOSThe cockiness of
first-year coach Josh McDaniels worked halfway into the season when
Denver surprised by going 6-0. It proved illusory as the Broncos
stumbled to an 8-8 close. In one of his first moves, McDaniels shipped
QB Jay Cutler to Chicago for QB Kyle Orton, which was bizarre. McDaniels
then got into a love-hate relationship with WR Brandon Marshall and
traded him to Miami. He will be missed. Orton had a creditable year but
it apparently didn’t satisfy McDaniel, who acquired Brady Quinn from
Cleveland and surprised everyone by drafting Tim Tebow in the first
round. RB Knowshon Moreno (947 yards) and LB Elvis Dumervil with his
NFL-leading 17 sacks have to wonder how McDaniels handles a three-headed quarterback.

4 KANSAS CITY CHIEFSThe
Chiefs are beginning to look like the Patriots of the West. GM Scott
Pioli brought in ex-Pat Charlie Weis to run the offense and another
ex-Pat, Romeo Crennel, to take charge of the defense and change the
culture of a 4-12 team that has gone 10-38 the last three years. Ex-Pat
QB Matt Cassel had a so-so 69.9-rated season but in all fairness the
Chiefs led the league in dropped passes. The one standout on offense was
RB Jamaal Charles, who ran for 1,120 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per
carry. He’ll be joined by Thomas Jones, who had career highs of 1,402
yards and 14 touchdowns for the Jets. Kansas City needs to reconstruct a
defense that got barbecued for an AFC-high 424 points.

NFC East

1 DALLAS COWBOYS The Cowboys didn’t do anything in free
agency and didn’t have to. Dallas won the East (11-5) and got its first
playoff win in 13 years. Tony Romo’s maturation led to his best season
(4,483 yards, 97.6 rating). The QB cut down on his interceptions and
delivered 26 touchdowns. Jason Witten was his favorite receiver (94
catches, 1,030 yards) but WR Miles Austin emerged as a big-play force
(81 receptions, 1,320 yards, 11 touchdowns). Rookie WR Dez Bryant adds
more big-play presence. Dallas has a loaded backfield with Marion Barber
(932 yards), Felix Jones (685 yards, 5.9 average), and Tashard Choice
(349 yards, 5.5 average).

3 NEW YORK GIANTSEntering
the 2009 season with giant expectations, the Giants crumpled like
97-pound weaklings. Eli Manning did all he could, producing his most
complete season, setting career highs in passing yardage (4,021),
completion percentage (62.3), touchdown passes (27) and yards per
attempt (7.9). He had great rapport with a group of young receivers led
by Steve Smith, who topped the NFC in receptions (107), and Mario
Manningham (57 catches, 822 yards). Despite Brandon Jacobs’ 835 yards,
the running game faltered. The defense was very un-Giantlike, lacking a
pass rush and leaking against the run, which cost defensive coordinator
Bill Sheridan his job. Replacement Perry Fewell must refuel that unit.

4 WASHINGTON REDSKINSIt’s
time to clean up the mess in Washington. And the football team didn’t
do well either. However, owner Daniel Snyder is finally letting his
football people do their jobs. New GM Bruce Allen and head coach Mike
Shanahan quickly pruned the roster after an awful 4-12 campaign. Their
major move was getting the Eagles’ Donovan McNabb, who should revitalize
the 16th-ranked passing game, and drafted a building block left tackle
in Trent Williams. WR Santana Moss should improve on a 70-catch,
902-yard season. Shanahan stabilized the ground game by adding Larry
Johnson and Willie Parker to challenge Clinton Portis.

NFC South

1 NEW ORLEANS SAINTSNew Orleans wasn’t active in free agency and
didn’t have to be. Led by All-World QB Drew Brees, the champion Saints
head into 2010 with their offensive powerhouse intact. Brees was
phenomenal with a league high rating of 109.6, producing 4,388 yards, 34
touchdowns, only 11 interceptions and an NFL-record 70.6 completion
percentage. Pierre Thomas supplied a much-needed ground game (793 yards,
5.4 avg.). DB Darren Sharper led a gutsy defense with nine
interceptions while DE Will Smith weighed in with 13 sacks. Sean Payton
showed why he is one of the best play-calling coaches in the business
with a brilliant second-half onside kick in the Super Bowl, which turned
the game’s momentum and helped the Saints win. I picked the Saints, a
25-1 underdog last year, to win the Super Bowl and I like them to go
marching in again.

2 ATLANTA FALCONSAtlanta produced
consecutive winning seasons for the first time in its history and might
have made the playoffs if RB Michael Turner hadn’t been injured and
missed eight games. He was heading for another 1,000-yard campaign with
871 yards and 10 touchdowns. Team newcomer TE Tony Gonzalez provided QB
Matt Ryan with a valuable weapon with 83 receptions and 867 yards that
allowed WR Roddy White to shake loose with a big year (85 catches, 1,153
yards, 11 touchdowns). Atlanta shored up its defense, drafting three
defenders as well as signing DB Dunta Robinson from the Texans.

3 CAROLINA PANTHERSCatching
Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen in the second round was manna from heaven
as coach John Fox enters his lame-duck year without ever having
back-to-back winning seasons. His biggest mistake was sticking with Jake
Delhomme too long after the QB threw 23 interceptions in his last 12
games. Delhomme’s poor play negated the Panthers powerful one-two
running attack of Jonathan Stewart (1,133 yards, 10 touchdowns) and
DeAngelo Williams (1,117 yards). Playmaker receiver Steve Smith (65
catches, 982 yards) missed the start of training camp with a broken arm
suffered in an offseason game of flag football. Clausen has a chance to
unseat incumbent backup Matt Moore. The defense is a little less spicy
without DE Julius Peppers, who signed with Chicago.

4 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERSOne
year after coach Jon Gruden and GM Bruce Allen were fired, the devalued
Bucs were worth about half a buck. Under new coach Raheem Morris, the
club started 1-12 with three different quarterbacks and finished
3-13. Rookie QB Josh Freeman closed out the year as the starter and got
help from TE Kellen Winslow (77 catches, 884 yards) and RB Cadillac
Williams (823 yards). The Bucs used their first two draft picks on
defensive tackles to bolster the league’s worst rushing defense. Rookie
DTs Gerald McCoy (the Oaklahoma tackle taken third overall in the 2010
draft) and Brian Price from UCLA could both start.

NFC West

1 SAN FRANCISCO 49ersThe 49ers finally appear to be a contender.
In 2009 they turned in their first non-losing season in six years (8-8)
as 2005 No. 1 draft pick Alex Smith finally secured the starting QB
job. He finished with an 81.5 rating and got into a zone with WR Michael
Crabtree (625 yards, 13 avg.) and TE Vernon Davis, who had a breakout
season (78 receptions, 965 yards, 13 touchdowns). Reliable RB Frank Gore
had another 1,000-yard season (1,120 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns,
plus 52 receptions for another 406 yards and 3 more touchdowns) and
Patrick Willis was a force with a team-high 152 tackles, leading a
defense that limited opponents to 10 points or less in seven games as
they went 5-1 in the West.

2 ARIZONA CARDINALSNobody took a
bigger off-season sack than the defending division champions, who won
back-to-back titles for the first time since 1974-1975. The biggest hit
was the retirement of future Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner, the NFC’s
fifth-ranked passer in 2009. Matt Leinart still hasn’t progressed as
expected, which is why the Cardinals signed QB Derek Anderson. The Birds
had three starters fall out of the nest: WR Anquan Boldin and defensive
stalwarts Karlos Dansby and Antrel Rolle. They replaced Dansby with
Joey Porter and got help in the draft with LB Daryl Washington and NT
Dan Williams. Arizona still has considerable firepower on offense, and
the spark is WR Larry Fitzgerald (97 catches, 1,092 yards) whose 13
touchdowns tied him for tops in the NFC.

3 SEATTLE SEAHAWKSCoach
Pete Carroll returned to the NFL with more moves than chess master
Bobby Fischer, dealing for nine draft picks, the No. 1 being franchise
left tackle Russell Okung. He also dealt for veteran RB Leon Washington
(Jets). Still, Carroll faces a number of problems, especially since the
Seahawks MVP was punter Jon Ryan. The worries start with oft-injured QB
Matt Hasselbeck (75.1 rating) and the loss of WR Nate Burleson and QB
Seneca Wallace. Charlie Whitehurst, who did not throw a pass in four
years in San Diego, is the heir to Hasselbeck. WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh
(79 catches, 911 yards) is the sole remaining star.

4 ST. LOUIS RAMSThe
Rams looked like lambs the past three years, going 6-42, and last
season’s only win came against the toothless Lions. They scored only 17
touchdowns in 2009 (one on defense), which is why St. Louis couldn’t
wait to get No. 1 overall pick QB Sam Bradford, the new face of the
franchise. With a strong, accurate arm, Bradford lit up the sky in
Oklahoma like a pinball machine, with 88 touchdowns and a paltry 16
interceptions. With an NFC high 1,416 yards, and 51 receptions for
another 322 yards, RB Steven Jackson was the Rams’ offense but comes off
back surgery. With draftee WR Mardy Gilyard, the trio could make some
noise.

Danny Sheridan is a sports analyst for U.S.A. Today, for which he provides the daily odds on all sporting events.